Instagram drops.

Discussion in 'Whatever' started by BrainDeadBrum, May 24, 2016.

  1. BrainDeadBrum

    BrainDeadBrum Toy Prince

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2013
    Messages:
    494
    Location:
    California
    Instagram drops.
    I'm sure by now everyone has seen a drop announcement on Instagram then the figure becomes sold out in 30 seconds. I personally don't care for this, not everyone has an equal chance of getting one. It discourages me from collecting new figures. I was interested to see what other peoples opinions were on Instagram drops.
     
  2. Headhunter

    Headhunter Line of Credit

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2015
    Messages:
    1,840
    Instagram drops.
    Are we talking about stuff like Kumon drops or just other stuff in general? I mean personally i hate them. I think there rather crappy if you ask me but some ppl seem to love them.
     
  3. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2011
    Messages:
    11,771
    Instagram drops.
    Not being on Instagram at all, I can appreciate your frustration. I assume this is almost only for toys that have a lot of hype surrounding them/are marketed to a much wider market than us here on SB. [Also toys which I am not in all likelihood not collecting, so take my opinion in your own value from those two facts.] For what it's worth, I don't care for it, but it's just another loop to go through these days; nearly every toy maker is finding ways to do their own thing. I don't know that any is more fair than any other, and there are always going to be toy releases you will miss out on. But there are plenty of toys out there, you keep persistent and patient, and be happy with what you can get. As for sales/drops through IG, being the go-to thing now is all about instant gratification, this does not surprise me.
     
  4. hellointerloper

    hellointerloper S7 Royalty

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2014
    Messages:
    3,328
    Location:
    CT, United States
    Name:
    Maddie
    Instagram:
    hellointerloper
    Instagram drops.
    I use Instagram, but not often enough to catch drops. They kind of annoy me...
     
  5. Ghost&Flower

    Ghost&Flower Line of Credit

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2009
    Messages:
    1,587
    Location:
    Portland
    Name:
    Jesse
    Instagram:
    jessenarens
    Instagram drops.
    I post my releases on instagram because its the only place where people seem to be aware of my stuff and dont care about me posting about my own stuff.
    I have a facebook page that doesnt get much attention, and then theres my website, but its not like people are checking that daily.
    I stopped posting about my own toys on here because I dont have much else to contribute these days since having a baby and not having a regular paying job makes collecting toys pretty much impossible.
    I dont want to be one of those people that just comes on here to pimp my own shit. I figure if people care enough about what Im doing, theyll figure out where to find it. Maybe someone else will post about it on here.

    But then my stuff doesnt sell out for days. Id have a newsletter or something like that if my things were more popular.
     
  6. xSuicide Squadx

    xSuicide Squadx Super Deformed

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2013
    Messages:
    5,529
    Location:
    Phoenix, Arizona
    Name:
    Robert
    Instagram:
    manic_1mag3s
    Instagram drops.
    I don't necessarily find it much of a negative. I'm missing releases all the time, but the post notifications have been a huge help as of late. There aren't many other places for artists to make fans aware of their drops lately, and Instagram is definitely easiest for said artists to reach the widest fanbase. Newsletters and such help, but not a lot of people seem to wanna sign up most times. I think if every artist could go the Hirota method it'd make things a lot easier and less stressful.

    My only gripe with Instagram is that it's made the hobby overly accessible(in my opinion) and a lot of shitty people have gotten into it. The hysteria and entitlement I see in people's comments is beyond mind blowing. What I hate the most is that I've already witnessed a handful of artists being haunted by private messages from desperately thirsty hype beasts that "NEED" to have every release. People need to fuckin' chill.
     
  7. Waterbear

    Waterbear Line of Credit

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2013
    Messages:
    1,587
    Location:
    Hiding in your toy chest
    Instagram drops.
    You really should embrace the newsletter idea. It's the best of all possible worlds. People who care about your stuff have a way to get important updates without using any of the social media outlets. They get to put in the absolute minimum effort which is pretty important for people who likes toys and hate chasing releases. Plus it makes it just as easy for you because if you use a good service like MailChimp it's really simple and easy to track and update. You would get to see how many people open the e-mail and anyone can opt in or opt out with one click. Plus as long as you have a mailing list of under a couple thousand people it's free. You get to not feel like you are pimping anything because the only people who get the mailer are the ones who actually want it. There is no real downside at all. Most of the people who sell decent amounts of toys use one. Instagram is cool but with all the changes and the soon to be non-chronological order it will be useless for actual timed drops. Toy blogs and news sites are fine but with so much new stuff out daily no one can keep track anymore.
     
  8. Headhunter

    Headhunter Line of Credit

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2015
    Messages:
    1,840
    Instagram drops.
    Thats kind of a ballsy thing to do. But you get all kinds of nasty people when things get more popular.

    Personally what i do is just congrats and just wait for the next release.
     
  9. kid_miracleman

    kid_miracleman Comment King

    Joined:
    May 30, 2015
    Messages:
    1,057
    Location:
    Atlanta
    Name:
    Chris
    Instagram:
    kid_miracleman
    Instagram drops.
    Yeah, I find it kind of morally disgusting to see people with enormous collections worth TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS bitching because they missed the 19th version of a toy. But then again, I also see artists rewarding those people since apparently they've "proven" they're "true" fans. All I see proven is a lot of money and not a lot of patience.
     
  10. xSuicide Squadx

    xSuicide Squadx Super Deformed

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2013
    Messages:
    5,529
    Location:
    Phoenix, Arizona
    Name:
    Robert
    Instagram:
    manic_1mag3s
    Instagram drops.
    The bitching I could do completely without, and agree that it sucks from all angles.

    However, artists rewarding or hookin' people up couldn't be any less my business, regardless of my personal outlook. It's their toys, their artistry, their intellectual property. They rock that shit however they want and, if anything, I keep my mouth shut out of respect. I've seemed to have derailed this thread's original intention, and I apologize.

    Waterbear really hit the nail on the head, though. After reading that, newsletter seems to be *the* best route 'cause, like he said, if people care enough they'll actually sign up. Least hassle and those that wanna know, will know!
     
  11. hellointerloper

    hellointerloper S7 Royalty

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2014
    Messages:
    3,328
    Location:
    CT, United States
    Name:
    Maddie
    Instagram:
    hellointerloper
    Instagram drops.
    Honestly, I wouldn't mind established toy artists starting to announce their drops here on SB. Maybe we can get a new section going here on SB where each artist gets their own thread, and only they themselves can post in each one. (No "OMG SO HYPEDDDD" comments on them, lol.)
    It would keep the discussion threads clear of self-advertising, and nobody has to look at the artist announcements if they don't want to.

    Just my thoughts on the matter, since I check here a lot more often than I do IG... Though I do check my email most often of all, so +1 to newsletters.
     
  12. BrainDeadBrum

    BrainDeadBrum Toy Prince

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2013
    Messages:
    494
    Location:
    California
    Instagram drops.
    Instagram is defiantly a direct way to show your work. Take a photo and post it instantly. Almost everyone has a smart phone in their pocket now. I agree with xSuicide Squadx that the hobby has become very accisible and now you see a lot more people getting their first this or that.

    The newsletter is a good idea. I know a few toy makers have mailing lists, and from my few experiences with them, they work well. Info on upcoming releases and info on how to take part.
     
  13. atease

    atease Super Deformed

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2006
    Messages:
    5,388
    Location:
    Boston, MA
    Instagram drops.
    Don't apologize for adding commentary to the discussion. Instagram entitlement is obnoxious and should be discussed if it's pertinent to the conversation, and in the case of toy releases it totally fits.
    I use newsletters for certain other things i collect, but honestly, turning on post notifications for an IG feed takes two seconds. Set them to show on your lock screen and you know when things get posted. Not difficult.
    In all seriousness though, it's fun to have some mystery in when things are released, how it's handled, etc.

    At the end of the day, it's collecting. There should be some type of work you have to put in, some difficulty obtaining it,(i.e. tracking when something is coming out, finding a website, sending an email for a lotto, using yja, *gasp* going in person to some event), a
    chase to find something you really, really want for personal reasons.

    It's not shopping. Or maybe it is.
     
  14. badteethcomics

    badteethcomics Post Pimp

    Joined:
    May 31, 2013
    Messages:
    2,986
    Location:
    Brisbane, Australia
    Name:
    Glenn
    Instagram:
    badteethcomics
    Instagram drops.
    I thought the instagram drop idea was to prevent bots? However it seems instagram drops sell out just as quick as they did when bots were an issue.

    I'm all for a newsletter/skullbrain exclusive idea.. would at least weed out some of the short-term hypebeast collectors that are ravaging releases at the moment. But on the other hand - we all started collecting at some point and we were all super excited about it as well. So I don't know - maybe it's not fair to exclude new collectors either.

    I prefer lotteries - either it's genuinely random or the maker picks and chooses who should get the toy. If it's the latter, as long as you aren't a flipper then really you have a fairly good chance. It's all toy karma.
     
  15. bbb

    bbb Side Dealer

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2011
    Messages:
    2,188
    Instagram:
    sofubbb
    Instagram drops.
    I like instagram drops. I like the shift towards sharing through instagram a bit better to the snail race that can be SB. I like being able to connect with collectors and makers who don't even know or care about SB. While yes, you have the dummies with the deep pockets out in the open now, patting each other on the back for their latest mandarake hype purchase, it's more importantly brought some fresh talent to the forefront, people we might never have heard of or who might have never had a chance to garner as big of a worldwide audience (Tan, Yokaiyu, SX.Toy, Leee etc.). It's a faster and more fun environment, with an even larger community than before.

    And yes, I do think that the instagram drop came out of a desire to deter people from camping out on release day and using bots (if that was actually happening at all). I think lotteries are the hardest form of release for a maker, and shop drops from Xam-Xpm can be a bit taxing on people who have to work... or live life. An instagram drop does level the playing field a bit. You hear people all the time being like "I just happened to be checking instagram and I got lucky". I think that's exciting.
     
  16. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2011
    Messages:
    11,771
    Instagram drops.
    Wow, does this really happen? I am so out if it. :roll:

    I don't understand why no one is really mentioning the exclusivity of doing it this way. I mean, would you still have the same reaction to someone doing a Facebook only sale? Or how about only through emails sent from gmail addresses? Or what about local/US only sales? (oh wait, those happen all of the time). At the end of the day, this is just a product, and while I get that it can facilitate an easy sales method for someone, it is NOT the same at all as having a product for sale on a website for anyone with access to the internet, by whatever means and device they choose to do it. It isn't really a level playing field from the get-go, so for that reason alone, I can see why IG are not for everyone, and purely fueling the hype that is an ever-growing beast in this hobby now.
     
  17. evom

    evom Mini Boss

    Joined:
    May 31, 2010
    Messages:
    4,079
    Instagram drops.
    ^^Steve, I think the original post is referring to drops that happen on a webstore, but the sale is only mentioned on IG at random with no sale time announced.

    to me it seems like most makers are trying to do every type of release method to keep things fair.
     
  18. petitetoilonrouge

    petitetoilonrouge S7 Royalty

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2009
    Messages:
    3,687
    Location:
    Where moose are lords.
    Name:
    Olivier
    Instagram:
    Petitetoilonrouge
    Instagram drops.
    This is a fairly general problem, which is why I always find it really awkward when people congratulate collections. It basically boils down to "congrats for having... money and tastes I relate to?" Totally been guilty of it, of course.
     
  19. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2011
    Messages:
    11,771
    Instagram drops.
    Ah, nevermind. Thanks Brent! I clearly have no idea what I am talking about. :oops: :mrgreen:

    You are right though, as I have said before, I really think [nearly] all toy makers out there are really all about making this fair for everyone and to see their stuff get directly into the hands of as many appreciating folks as they can, no matter their 'status' or money. There really is no easy way and you can never satisfy everyone.
     
  20. bbb

    bbb Side Dealer

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2011
    Messages:
    2,188
    Instagram:
    sofubbb
    Instagram drops.
    There have been 4-5 different ways this has gone down. Sometimes there is a time, sometimes a timeframe, sometimes it's instant or sometimes peppered randomly through the day with no warning.

    There have been a few limited-time lottery releases as of late that have been exclusively IG either through email or DM by Yoda, Izu and PK. Doing it through DM... I have no idea how that works. Seems like it would be a major pain in the ass and no way to keep it truly random.
     
  21. Waterbear

    Waterbear Line of Credit

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2013
    Messages:
    1,587
    Location:
    Hiding in your toy chest
    Instagram drops.
    Most of the IG sales I have seen aren't like that at all. They announce the sale and the first person/people to comment "win" the toy in question. I grabbed a toy that way once and there was no webstore link at all. The toy maker actually just wanted paypal payment as a gift to his e-mail address because it removes the fee from paypal and the store fee as well.
     
  22. evom

    evom Mini Boss

    Joined:
    May 31, 2010
    Messages:
    4,079
    Instagram drops.
    oh that's weird. and probably a good way for the seller to get their paypal locked.
     
  23. Cubensis

    Cubensis Line of Credit

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2009
    Messages:
    1,849
    Location:
    Middltown, CT
    Name:
    Eric
    Instagram:
    KaijusBlood
    Instagram drops.
    That's how I do my figure drops for the most part. Unless it's a pre-order or something, I always go the comment-to-claim route. If people care enough they'll follow and keep up with the drops, and then the outcome is always unbiased, being right there for all to see. Plus it's always a pretty fun time. I'd never expect or ask for gifted payments tho.

    Of course, I could see this being a little more difficult for more popular sofubi artists, especially those who's toys more prone to being flipped.
     
  24. MonstaIslandCzar

    MonstaIslandCzar Comment King

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2012
    Messages:
    1,158
    Location:
    Louisville, KY
    Name:
    Ben
    Instagram:
    MonstaIslandCzar
    Instagram drops.
    Bogxsquad drops are awesome! Lots of fun :)

    Best answer for these problems is to get Instagram! you can buy a device that's Instagram capable for under $100. We spend hundreds on toys but for some reason are cheapskates on other things - myself included! I caught myself recently saying a display case under a $100 was too much even though it would house a few thousand dollars in toys :x

    Instagram has given me relief from email drops or shop drops in the past that basically require you to refresh constantly to guess when something new will be added. Or Mandarake or SB where you simply have to check randomly throughout the day unless you have an email app that alerts you to a specific sender's email.

    In reality it's all frustrating unless you are part of the "exclusive clubs" of particular makers
     
  25. hellointerloper

    hellointerloper S7 Royalty

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2014
    Messages:
    3,328
    Location:
    CT, United States
    Name:
    Maddie
    Instagram:
    hellointerloper
    Instagram drops.
    Okay, I'm a complete idiot but... how do you turn on notifications for specific people on IG? Because I never knew that was a thing. My feed is so cluttered that I wouldn't see a shop drop unless I specifically checked ever username manually.
     

Share This Page